A lively look at the classical world

By James Brodell

A second heavily researched book about Greeks and Romans has arrived in time for winter reading. The book is “Insane Emperors, Sunken Cities, and Earthquake Machines.” The author is classics-trained Chicago native Garrett Ryan.

The 2023 book follows the same pattern of a similar 2021 book with three- to five-page chapters each addressing a specific aspect of ancient life, such as “Did the Ancient Greeks and Romans Wear Swimsuits?” or “Why Were the Noses of Ancient Statues broken?” (Spoiler alerts: yes and to kill the spirits within.)

Both this book and the earlier one, “Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants,” are replete with endnotes and explanatory footnotes, many with citations of primary sources. Ryan has a doctorate from the University of Michigan in Greek and Roman history. He also collects ancient coins and works this knowledge into the text along with appropriate photos, mostly of long-dead emperors.

The author also is a popular YouTube presenter on these topics.

Many history experts today are quick to claim that time has taken the bulk of material that would illuminate Greek and Roman society. They point to such tragedies as the burning of the Library of Alexandria or censorship by fire when Christians rounded up pagan writings. Entire books are written based only on headstone engravings or just a few surviving manuscripts.

Ryan says that the burning of the famous library has to be considered in context because the most serious ravages to knowledge were due to the fragility of the ancient scrolls before the advent of printing. The destruction by time left only those works that were seen to be important enough to be copied and recopied through Medieval times.

The author admits in his final chapter that even though perhaps as much as 99 percent of ancient documents no longer exist, plenty has been preserved. He also expresses optimism that the charred scrolls found in a library in volcano-scorched Herculaneum might someday be read because there is a project attempting that just now.

The depth of Ryan’s impressive research cannot be understated. Nearly every sentence contains a fact dredged from academic literature or the primary sources. As mundane as some facts seem, such as how Romans proved their identity, they are not likely to be found in typical history books.

Most other authors on Roman and Greek topics view the societies from the top down: the politics, social order, trade.

This book features tidbits at the individual, human level: The lethal broach pins of Greek woman, the emperor who sported a red cape when he visited the public baths, the stench of a Roman street, the inflation shoppers faced.

Ryan also employs a pleasant conversational style, despite pages of foot- and endnotes. And he likes to make plays on words, for example Rome was “flush with latrines,” including one that may have had 80 places.

There does not seem to be much duplication between the two books, although some duplication is expected when writing about the same historical events. In fact, the first and second books seem to be complimentary. In the first, for example, Ryan includes a 14-page summary of the classical world.

Some of the topics in both books also are featured in Ryan’s YouTube presentations. However, material that is read persists in the mind far longer than material that is viewed.

There can be no criticism of Ryan’s scholarship, but the book layout sometimes detracts. Ryan includes footnotes to amplify the text that might better be included above. The end notes would be better as footnotes to facilitate reading.

Both books, “Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants: Frequently Asked Questions About the Ancient Greeks and Romans” and “Insane Emperors, Sunken Cities, and Earthquake Machines: More Frequently Asked Questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans,” are available as paperbacks, as audiobooks and CDs and also as ebooks.

In a time when men are questioned about their frequency of thinking about the Roman Empire, it would seem that Ryan’s two books would give them a lot to consider. The same is true for more serious readers who wonder if Western Civilization is following the same tragic path as the western Roman empire.

Permission is granted for reproduction elsewhere with full and correct attribution.